Unsealed autopsy reports reviewed by PEOPLE show that the three female victims of Bryan Kohberger suffered far more extensive and targeted injuries than the male victim. Forensic pathologist Mary Jumbelic, M.D., describes the wounds to Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle as a pattern of "overkill," focused on the head, neck and chest and accompanied by defensive wounds. Goncalves in particular showed blunt-force trauma, a broken nose, possible asphyxiation and evidence of three distinct types of force; Goncalves and Kernodle also had skull punctures consistent with forceful jabs. Court records additionally reveal 13 complaints about Kohberger's behavior at Washington State University in the months before the Nov. 13, 2022 killings.
Forensic Pathologist: Kohberger Killings Show 'Overkill' Pattern Against Female Victims; Autopsies Reveal Three Types Of Fatal Force
Autopsy details made public in an unsealed court filing and reviewed by PEOPLE show clear differences between the wounds suffered by the three female victims of Bryan Kohberger and those of the male victim, a forensic pathologist tells PEOPLE.
Autopsy Findings and 'Overkill' Assessment
Mary Jumbelic, M.D., former Chief Medical Examiner for Onondaga County, said the injuries to Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen and Xana Kernodle demonstrate a pattern of "overkill," in which the infliction of injuries exceeds the force necessary to cause death. She explained this can indicate an "intense emotional rage" and a strong need to dominate the victims.
"Overkill is when the infliction of injuries exceeds the force necessary to cause death," Jumbelic said. "Behavioral profilers say this type of injury indicates a strong motive and a need to dominate."
Stab Counts and Injury Distribution
The unsealed reports list the number of stab wounds as follows: Kaylee Goncalves — 38; Madison Mogen — at least 28; Xana Kernodle — 67. By contrast, the male victim, Ethan Chapin, sustained 13 stab wounds. Jumbelic noted that in overkill cases wounds are often concentrated on the head, neck and chest — a pattern that appears in these autopsies.
Defensive Injuries and Signs of Struggle
All three women exhibited defensive wounds on their hands and upper limbs, consistent with efforts to block or fend off knife attacks. Jumbelic said Kernodle had a particularly large number of defensive wounds, suggesting a prolonged and significant struggle. Mogen’s injuries included marks suggesting a knife was held at or near her nose and mouth during the assault.
Goncalves: Multiple Forces and Facial Trauma
Goncalves’ autopsy showed additional blunt-force trauma and a broken nose. Jumbelic said facial injuries also indicated possible asphyxiation, raising the possibility she was smothered. She added that Goncalves appeared to have experienced three different types of force contributing to death — a distinction not noted to the same degree in the other victims.
Skull Punctures
Both Goncalves and Kernodle had puncture wounds that penetrated the skull bone itself, which Jumbelic described as consistent with the knife tip being jabbed with force into the head.
Context From Court Documents
Kohberger’s motive remains unknown, and he has declined to speak publicly about the killings. Court documents and interviews obtained by PEOPLE show that Kohberger was a first-semester doctoral student in criminology at Washington State University when the school received its first formal complaint about his behavior just days into the program. Over the next three months, administrators recorded a total of 13 complaints related to his interactions with women.
The records include accounts from multiple complainants who described troubling remarks and conduct, including derogatory comments and behavior that some described as homophobic, ableist, xenophobic and misogynistic. Staff and students told investigators that Kohberger could stare, stand uncomfortably close to women and make others uneasy; the tensions prompted discrimination training for first-year doctoral students on Nov. 8, 2022. Five days later, on Nov. 13, 2022, the four students were killed at an off-campus home in Moscow, Idaho.
Sources: Unsealed court filings and autopsy reports reviewed by PEOPLE; interview with Mary Jumbelic, M.D.; Idaho State Police investigative records cited in court documents.
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